Maple syrup may cost more this year…

Expect to pay a little more for maple syrup this year.A couple of poor seasons as well as an increase in demand globally have driven up the price.As Cori Skall explains, a local maple producer says it has spurred a rise in the number of folks making their own syrup this year.”Retail prices keep rising, but also, the cost of production keeps rising, so we’re not getting rich, as it may seem.”Bob Moore owns Bob’s Sugarhouse in Dover-Foxcroft.He says a couple of bad seasons, coupled with the depletion of the canadian surplus, has forced the price of maple syrup to go up.”2-3 years of bad seasons, bad production, low production, and the increase in….international demand, that surplus has been wiped out.””With the exception of last year, Maine was the #2 producer in the United States…of course Canada is the world’s largest producer and Vermont being the number 1. But last year, the bad season we had, Maine dropped to #3. But there’s no problem…we will be back to #2, in a couple of months.”Moore says with a little help from mother nature, the prices could come down in a few years.”Several good seasons in a row, and get the surplus built back up, and probably the price would come down.””Ideal weather would be in the 20’s nights, and everything would freeze up. And then warm up in the days, low 40’s, without wind and lots of sun.”And Moore says one thing that’s come out of the higher prices of syrup, folks branching out to make their own.”The economy and the prices today, we have seen more back-yarders starting this year, to make their own.”But Moore says that the rise in price hasn’t stopped people from buying this year.”The demand is still there. There’s still people buying syrup and we’ve been able to see all we can produce, which is good.”He says he’s looking forward to this weekend’s Maine Maple Sunday, and he hopes this season will be better than last years.”Just hope completely in the power of the Weather Man…to get us some good weather and let it last for a month…and we’d be very happy.”Maine Maple Sunday is this Sunday, which means many sugar shacks will be open to the public, with all sorts of maple goodies to sample.Bob’s Sugarhouse will be taking part in the annual Maple breakfast at the Dover Foxcroft firehouse this sunday from 7 to 10.